Proper Greetings
by PhoenixIsis
Summary: One Shot. What happens when proper etiquette is not initiated? INUKAG


Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from Inuyasha.

**Name of Fiction/Chapter: **Proper Greetings  
**Drabble Entry #:** 10. Etiquette  
**Characters Involved:** Kagome & Inuyasha  
**Fandom or Original:** Inuyasha  
**Rating of Fiction:** PG-13  
**Word Count: **1554

"I wasn't really trespassing. I was just trying to get a water sample from the river, which just happens to be on your facility's property. I didn't see any signs, honest!"

Two men, dressed in gray uniforms, escorted the ranting woman between them. The disheveled woman was limping slightly, due to a broken heal on one of her shoes, and her black hair was falling out of the once tight bun on her head. She glanced between the two and attempted to gain the guards' attentions, but they seemed much more intent on their destination.

"If I had known the area was owned, I would have made an appointment!"

"Miss Higurashi," spoke one of the guards, "We know you work for the newspaper, Tokyo Life. We also know that you had to climb two fences to get to where you were found."

She smiled faintly, "Well, like I said, the fences weren't mark-"

"It is of no consequence to us, Miss Higurashi," the guard continued. "You were caught trespassing. There is only one solution for all trespassers who do not follow proper procedures."

The trio stopped before a large steel door. The sound of an electrical lock being disengaged, reminded the reporter of the sound prison doors make. Her eyes widened, as one of the guards opened the door for her.

"Please step inside, Miss Higurashi."

She glanced from the open doorway to the two guards. "I don't really like gray walled rooms. Do you have anything else, perhaps with a view?"

The other guard roughly pushed the woman into the room.

"Trust me, Miss Higurashi. After the other door opens, you will wish you had taken the time to make the proper arrangements to enter this facility and its grounds. Goodbye, Miss. We will make sure to discard your personal effects and vehicle.

The door slammed shut with an electrical hissing sound, echoing in the small brightly lit room. Significantly chilled by the ominous goodbye from the guard, the reporter glanced around the empty room. With the exception of the door she entered, the room had nothing else to offer except another set of doors. The room was roughly six feet wide and three feet long, no bigger than a large closet. The doors on either side of the room had no windows or door handles.

Another electrical hiss resounded and the door before her opened a crack, and then widened as if blown by light breeze. Almost immediately the putrid smell of blood and feces permeated the room, drifting from the darkness beyond the open door.

She shivered; a hand went to her mouth as she gagged at the smell. Her gray eyes never left the doorway. Whatever was beyond the threshold was something she knew she didn't want to know. She squinted as she peered into the darkness. Was there movement just now? No?

She dropped her hand slightly and stepped backward, her back pressed against the other door behind her. What was in there? She brought her other hand up to clasp together with her other hand in front of her throat, as if wanting to say a prayer and yet too afraid to take her eyes from the gaping shadows.

_Click!_

Her breath froze in her exhale. What had been that sound? Had it really been a sound at all? Or was her mind playing tricks on her? She strained her ears to hear. Instead, all she heard was the pounding of her heart. She let her breath go slowly. Too loud! Breathe quieter! The slower she tried to breathe, the harder it was to hear, as her ear drums filled with sound of her breath and the pulsing of her heart.

The attack came fast. One moment she had been standing, the next on the ground, dragged into the darkness. She screamed as her body was dragged by her ankle across a smooth, cold floor. The sound of the door closing behind her was ominous and final. The strong grip on her ankle was clearly not human.

I'm going to die! Please, I don't want to die! Her throat seized on her screams and died.

Abruptly the pressure on her foot was gone, and she was left in the dark. Tears dripped from her eyes, but she dared not move. Whatever had grabbed her was close. She could hear its breathing. Or was that hers? No, it wasn't hers. Hers was frantic and ragged. This other breath was even and measured, calm even.

Her eyes stared into nothing, eyes dilated to the max. She blinked the tears from her eyes, her mind focused solely on the breathing. Was this a creature she could reason with or a mindless animal? Should she try or would making noise immediately condemn her to a grueling death?

The sound of breathing was suddenly next to ear. She flinched and screamed, pushing her body away from the sound using her hands. Something grabbed her ankle again, and it pulled her back hard. Her scream immediately switched to one of pain instead of fear.

Somewhere between the door and here, she had lost her shoes. Due to the warm summer days, she had forgone the need for nylons and jacket, preferring the light cotton camisole and linen brown skirt. Big mistake! Gooseflesh pebbled along her bare arms and legs, and she cursed herself for always being dressed professionally.

The hand was once again gone from her ankle, but the being was still close. Her ankle throbbed painfully. Instead of focusing on an unknown fate, she grasped a hold of the one thing she was certain of, pain. She could deal with pain. It was real, tangible. It distracted her from the real horror around her.

She shifted her body slightly in an attempt to assess the damage wrought to her ankle. Before she had moved an inch a hand slammed her upper body back against the ground again. She expelled the air in her lungs upon the impact, her chest constricting in protest. Thankfully she didn't hit her head, or was that wrong? Unconsciousness would probably be better than lying her in the dark, waiting for the creature to do what it intended to do.

The warm, even breath returned to the area beside her head. She flinched, but forced her body to not move. In and out. In and out. Steady. Even. Closer and closer. The breath drifted from her ear, continuing on down past her chin to her neck. She squeezed her eyes shut, more tears leaking from the corners. Oh god, oh god.

The heated breath seemed to take it's time memorizing the curve of her neck, the hollow of her throat. This was it! Didn't wild animals usually attack the neck area to kill their prey? A wet heat stroked the side of her neck, with the slight graze of sharp fangs.

"I don't want to die," she pleaded in a hushed, choked whisper. "I don't want to die."

Pain exploded from her neck, and her breath gushed from her lungs in a harsh wheeze. She had been bitten. The creature had sunk its teeth into her neck. She waited for the tear of flesh, the signal of the end, but instead the teeth held her neck in place, blood seeping between the cuts.

Heat enveloped her, driving the pain from her mind for a moment. It surrounded her frame, gathering her body closer to it. Her muscles relaxed, a languid peace seeping into her. She barely noticed the teeth moving from her neck, a tongue lazily lapping at the damage.

Limp now, she registered the heat leave and then return. Her body lifted from the ground, cradled against a body clearly human-like in structure. Her head, tucked in the crook of the creature's shoulder, tipped forward into its chest. Her nose picked up the smell of sweat and blood. Her ear picked up the steady beat of the creature's heart, the smooth inhalation and exhalation of breathe, and something else- an animal like sound. A growl? A purr? Whatever it was, it was steady and light, subtle.

Slowly, she found herself lowered down into a pile of furs. The soft hairs tickled her arms and legs. Her mind drifted, as the heat of the creature's body sank down beside her, covering her body. The fear slipped away as the heat melted into her.

"Sleep," commanded a voice that was low and masculine.

Her eyes flicked open, but the darkness was absolute. Her mind attempted to grasp the enormity of the situation she found herself in, but couldn't. She should've been killed. She knew it. Those guards had tossed her in here in the hope of her being slaughtered. Instead, she now found herself alive and cradled by a creature that could speak. What was one supposed to do now?

"Hello," she murmured, her body shifting into the heat of the creature's body.

The creature stiffened slightly. "Hello? You were brought to me to be slaughtered, and all you have to say is 'Hello'?"

She yawned, her eyes drifting shut. "Hmmm. I was tossed in here because of improper etiquette. Trespassed onto the property. Got caught. Nearly killed. I think 'Hello' is the most proper thing to say now, isn't it?"

"I thought the scream was a fairly good introduction."


End file.
